The Warner sun. (Warner, Brown Co., Dakota [S.D.]) 1885-1???, 1887-01-21
/ have reflected much upon what

"Yesterday!"-John felt as If he
were going mad. "Yesterday!"-and
he had so trusted herl The room had
grown black and a great sledge ham
mer was beating in his brain, but he
read on--upon what you said yes.
terday. but | am at last resolved. /
will not see you again. Any attempt
to make me break this resolve will be
fruitless. God knows you have only
yourself to blame that this marriage
has
John stood for a few moments as if
turned into stone, his face blanched,
his muscles tense. Then a ray Of hope
seemed to come TO him. ''There is no
Signature; it is not hers" He looked
again. How could he doubt it? He
knew too well the turn of every letter.
He was alternately livid withrage and
choking with grief. His dream ofhap-
piness vanished. Something like a
curse came from between his closed
teeth.
"She loves this man, and she
meets him and tells him so, and only
yesterday. Oh, it is too horriblel too
horriblel" He buried his face in his
hands and groaned. 81 shall go
away; | shall never" At that mo-
ment the telephone bell rang. He
took no notice oft. "Ishall never"
Again it rang long and loud. What
should he do? There was no one else
to answer it; he must go. So he said
huskily, "Hellol"
Mildred's silvery voice replied,
"John. is that your"
The situation was shocking. How
could he reply?-but-there was no
time for reflection. He knew that the
Central Office would share all his con-
fdences through that Internal piece of
black walnut and ebony. So he said:
eyes"
"yVhy do you not come? Dinner is
waiting for you"
How well he knew the pretty inflex-
ion of that voice!
II wish no dinner-I am going away
goodbye.
1t might have been the conventional
telephone goodbye" or it might
contain a profounder meaning.
The effect at the other end of the
line cannot be described. Ten min
utes later d cab drove iuriously up to
the door of the Apartment House,
and Mildred, with white face and fast
beating heart, rushed into the room,
and would have rushed into Johns
arms if he had let her.
"You are going away" she said
breathlessly.
"You are a clever actress" said
that gentleman repulsing her intended
embrace.
"A what?" said she, amazed. "John,
what's the"
"A very clever actress" said he
quite as if she had not spoked, "but
hereafter we will have a more perfect
understanding and you need not
trouble yourself"
"Why, john" said she, ''have you
lost your senses?"
mo; on the contrary, ] have recov-
cred them. / am no longer a dupe. /
was fool enough to think you"
"John, for Gods sake tell me what
this means!"
ooh. Mildredl . Mildredl" SAID he
breaking down utterly. "Why did
you not tell me like an honest woman
that you loved some one else?"
John, you know. l."
"Stopl" said he. "Stopl do not
stain your soul with any more false
hood"
"You need not have married me-"
went on the wretched man. "God
knows / wish you had not"
She tried to put her arms about
him es he paced to and fro in rapid
strides, but hepushed her away angrily.
mo, nc more OF that. That has lost
it's charm"
Mildred burst into tears.
81
you would be--so-cruel," sobbed she.
"What-have / done?"
"Done?" shouted the exasperated
man, "done? Why, you have spoiled
the life OF an honest man, who dotted
on you, believed in you-like q trust
ing fool-who would have risked his
life on your honesty
Stop" said Mildred, and she gath
cred herself up to q fuller height than
Johns eyes had ever before beheld in
her. She too was angry now
eff you have charges to make / de-
mand that they be Iefinite, and not
in base innuendo. You are very cruel
and also very insulting to me. / shall
not remain in tins house tonight; nor
return to it until you have apologize
ed" And she swept from the room
and from Johns astonished sight.
A moment later he heard the mes
senger call, then heard ihis wife give an
order for cab, thensssw her packing a
handbag. He intendM doing the same
things himself. But soseehow having
her do them was inGnitelv harder ~